La Cuisine du Cameroun: Bean Beignets

I come to you today to sing the praises of the bean beignet, or as one volunteer called them, “village chicken nuggets.” In addition to being a delightful little snack, it’s a source of protein in the incredibly carb-heavy village diet.

Like so many things, bean beignets are beautiful in their simplicity. White beans or black-eyed peas are cooked and mashed, formed into shapes not unlike chicken nuggets, and deep-fried. The taste and texture is somewhere between a chicken nugget and a hushpuppy.

cross-section of a bean beignet

Bean beignets are especially popular during the holy month of Ramadan, when Muslims abstain from food and drink from sunrise to sundown. Many people actually gain weight during Ramadan despite fasting, since they break their fast every evening at about 7 pm with a variety of delicious oily dishes.
Thankfully for me (and unfortunately for my expanding waistline), bean beignets are available year-round on market days, and are only ten francs (about two cents) apiece. Usually an adorable little girl in a hijab (headscarf) will sit behind a large platter loaded with a pile of beignets and place them in a “plastique,” a small transparent plastic bag.

Usually a show some level of self-restraint and get five, but today I went all-out and spent 100 francs (20 cents) on ten. Bon appétit to me.